


Still Standing, Standing Still

by Loopdeloup



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Shore Leave, Uncomfortable Truths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28617243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopdeloup/pseuds/Loopdeloup
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	Still Standing, Standing Still

Sometimes standing still requires moving ahead.

They need to put in for supplies.

They are weary and battle sore and exhausted of constantly being on alert, barely scraping through crisis after crisis and living on the bare minimum.

They need to find a good stable class M planet in a quiet stretch of space. Somewhere rich in resources with nice weather and no inhabitants whatsoever. Somewhere they can dock the ship and have proper shore leave. A chance to give every last member of the crew time to lie flat on their backs on the ground, feel some natural currents of good breathable organic air, some true Earth-quality sunlight, catch some natural vitamin D, watch some vegetation swaying, idly observe some clouds or some other mild, repetitive semi-random-seeming natural phenomena, and get some actual peace, the opportunity to not even be on call for at least five days (under a three-shift fifteen day rotation—if it could be eight days each, so much the better).

For each and every single last one of them.

Even Tuvok.

Even the Captain. Let’s be honest here; especially the Captain.

Meantime, they are limping through space, making repairs on the fly, using a minimum of rations of all kinds. Even emotional rations. Everyone is looking thin and worn and slightly transparent. They attend movie nights and linger after meals chatting together, and try to smile and laugh for each other, but no one is really convinced.

They are making the motions, moving forward almost by force of habit alone, hiding their ache for a little respite as best they can from each other. 

*

_Captain Janeway, report to Astrometrics. I have something you will want to see._

Janeway grimaces to herself. She knows that in her Captain mode she is more than capable of striking appropriate terror and awe-filled respect into every member of her crew when required—and quite often even when not—but so far there has been no way to impress the need to make at least a show of basic professional deference to her Captain on the ex-Borg.

“You’d better be right about this being something I want to see, Seven,” Janeway says, striding in as the doors whoosh closed behind her, “I am in no mood to see anything undesirable today.”

The young woman looks completely unperturbed. She taps at her panel, pulling up a sweeping panorama on the presentation screens in front of her. “Long range sensors have detected a G2V star system 8.63 light years away with twin M class planets. So far they appear to be uninhabited, although we will need to confirm with closer monitoring. There are a further eight planets in the system that look promising in terms of minerals.”

“Oh, now that _is_ something I wanted to see. One hopes. Send the coordinates to the helm please.” She slaps her communicator, “Helm, lay in a course for the coordinates incoming. Janeway out.”

Turning back to Seven, she says, “Just when you think the Delta Quadrant can no longer surprise you, it goes and suddenly acts all benign. No reason to believe it’s not too good to be true though. Let’s profile these planets in as much depth as possible, starting from now. We can’t afford any unpleasant surprises.”

Seven nods and continues with her efficient tapping.

Janeway slaps her communicator again, “Ensign Kim, please reroute all available power to long range scanners. Report immediately on any ships, or anomalous readings of any kind, no matter how small or how uncertain. Janeway out.”

*


End file.
